The War of Four: The Eye of the Storm
The War of Four: The Eye of the Storm Act I Is this Legal? Invitation to the Seireitei! The atmosphere felt ominous. As V-14's Avian steed flew them across the airspace of the Soul Society. Below, their usual hideouts within the Rukon Districts, passing them by as they flew closer and more in the open than usual. With looming thunder clouds, rumbling above them and with occasional fierce winds blowing by them, the feeling of an invitation to their long enemies' headquarters became less and less appealing. At least, to some of them... "So..." Hyōryū asked pointedly, sitting backseat with Anton in front of her and Shinshin behind her, rolling her neck side to side, "where are we going to park? Considering we're allowed into the Seireitei, I'm not sure exactly what we're supposed to do with Rika's pet." "The Soul Society holds an alliance with Yūrei, and their police commander works very closely with the forces of the Gotei 13." Angelika explained, looking to the ones on the bird. She also had her radio earpiece on so that her allies traveling by teleportation or other means could listen it. "As far as landing zones are concerned, they won't have a problem with identifying and helping us land. Rest assured, our ride will be safe and sound." She looked over to Rika. "Frau Nakamura, keep yourself at the bird at all times. With our bad luck streak, I don't want to take any chances." "Yes, ma'am..." Rika nodded readily. "The rest of you, keep yourself at an alert, composed level. Remember that these aren't our enemies anymore. Any personal vendettas you hold must be suppressed. I don't care if one of the Captains kicked your pet puppy or drowned your favorite goldfish." This earned a few snickers. "We're here for negotiations and discussion, not another fight." A slight scowl came across Anton's face. "Oh, that's right. If I had known we would be negotiating with these bastards, I would have just offed Shindō right then and there and be done with it." He said coldly. "At least then, I wouldn't have had to worry about seeing his smug face again." "Well, negotiations probably would go less well if you killed one of their Captains, right?" Kaitlyn asked, albeit holding no patronizing or reprimanding tone. "I think that'd be a worse option than having to deal with the face of someone you hate..." "It'd be especially unwise, as a certain enraged Lieutenant managed to calm himself and work up the courage to approach Angelika-senpai on the insistance of creating this alliance," Shinshin implored to Anton, sitting directly in front of Kaitlyn, so it was easy for him to intercede on the point further, "We haven't killed each other yet, besides a few of their footsoldiers and us being wounded by them, so its nothing of consequence they can't overlook. Yet..." "Which is good that we haven't killed any of them, right?" Hyōryū asked to Anton, shrugging as it all made sense to her. Despite her dislikement to most Soul Reapers, a good fraction of them were actually on their side, so she couldn't say they were all bad. That, and the Lieutenant Hayate would be better as a friend than an enemy... "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to let this type of water go under the bridge..." Anton muttered, jerking his head to gesture to Angelika. "For one thing, did you see what that guy did to Angelika? That wasn't wounds. That was a full-on human barbeque. I don't even know how the hell you lived through that. I mean, I could smell the flesh sizzling, her insides were literally falling out of her body, not to mention I got a good view of the intestines, liver, kidneys and--" "BLURGH!!!" Rika didn't take it as well as the rest of them. She bent over the side and heaved her stomach's contents, much to Oliver's amusement. As she continued heaving, he started laughing heartily. "Gee, Anton!" He jeered, switching his gaze over to the surprised Russian. "You really get into description when talking about stuff like that, don't you? What, did you take anatomy class before you joined V-14 or something?" "Oops..." Anton muttered. "My bad, Nakamura." "For someone who has a girlfriend, you sure don't know the meaning of restraint, do you, Semenov-san?" Mōka asked with a snicker, sitting up front and was able to pat Rika on the back as she looked at him with an upraised brow. "Well, my girlfriend isn't one of those pussy-foots who'd faint at the sight of a mouse." Anton answered, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, you can blame my service under the destruction battalion for my detail. If you had been in my shoes, you'd be having the very same thing in your mind, too." "Oh, I've got one better..." Oliver said immediately, smirking. "During my time as an Aethian soldier, I got to use a flamethrower as a weapon. When I got to using that thing, there was a whole bunch of fried chicken everywhere. I even got to seen the skin and muscle melt right off of their bones. You could even hear the flesh bubbling and splashing right on the ground--" "O-okay, could you two please stop back there?!" Rika begged, her face a sickly green. She found herself having to lean on Mōka for support, trying to keep herself from puking again. "I think I'm going to pass out!!" This time, both Anton and Oliver were laughing at her, and she attempted a glare over her shoulder at them. "Making the pilot pass out is not a good idea, Anton," Hyōryū sighed, jabbing a slight punch into Anton's side before turning to glare daggers back at Oliver, "neither is it to make such dialouge in our more innocent listeners, Ollie..." "Yeah, Ollie! Think of the children, hahahahaha!" Yajū gafawed over Oliver's joke, snickering at the dialogue as it wasn't even close to being grotesque enough to phase him.? "Rika, I believe we're in the Seireitei's airspace," Mōka nodded to one of the barracks' courtyards, whispering to her as she tried to support the barely conscious, nauseous-feeling girl while whispering calmly, "just hang in there a little longer and we can get away from this brutes, okay?" In response, Rika managed a grateful nod. "Y-yeah..." As best as she could, she raised her head up in order to look below her. As her eyes squinted, she could see the silhouettes of Shou and Genesis running below her, leaping from building to building. She could also see the silhouettes of what appeared to be Gotei 13 sentries, some of which were motioning in the direction of the designated landing zone. "Kachō, this is Yoshizawa." Shou reported via radio. "I've just gotten word that the 9th Division had a landing zone within the midst of their barracks set up for us. Their Captain will be there to greet us, and I presume the Phoenix will be there as well. So at the very least, our introduction won't be as tense." "We took out a lot of the 9th Division troops..." Yusuke said, a frown of concern on his face. "Won't they be at least a tiny bit furious at us for killing off their soldiers?" "What, you didn't hear what the big guy said?" Oliver questioned, cocking an eyebrow and (pointedly) ignoring the glare given to him. "It's not like he's going to have his troops jump us. During my and Sis's fight against those 9th Division troops, I could practically see it in their eyes. If they're anything like their Captain, they'd prefer to destroy us in direct combat rather than something so cowardly as an ambush." "Say, Kaitlyn, was it?" Anton, after wincing at the slight punch his girlfriend gave him, turned a curious look to the blonde girl. "I've heard that you're the head of the Taikodansō Company, which apparently has influence within the Rukongai as well as the Seireitei. Won't the Gotei 13 have issues with if it when they realize what recent operation you've been helping out with?" "I'm willing to take my chances." Kaitlyn said simply. "Like I said before, I would've faced the very wrath of the Paladinus Primus herself if it meant saving my father. The status of my company won't override that." Oliver grinned, wrapping an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "That's the ideal kid for you! Supporting you whenever you need it the most!" Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "You're still a moron, though." She added, inwardly smirking at the mock look of hurt on his face. "Getting yourself captured like that was something I'd expect from my sister, but you?" "Oh, haha, very funny, blondie..." Genesis grumbled under her breath, though making sure her radio was turned off. "So would you mind sparing me a weapon or so?" Hyōryū leaned around, giving her best impersonation of a "puppy eye" face, as she begged, "like, the really shiny and deadly ones? Pretty please?!" "Reduced to begging, Hyōryū-san? I'd never thought I'd live to see the day," Shadō spoke over the radio with a bemusing tone, as he ran through the shadows, weaving in and out to keep up with the two Daitenshi's pace. "S-Shut up, Shadō!" Hyōryū blushed slightly at the remark before returning her begging gaze to Kaitlyn, entirely serious in wanting to recieve a weapon in exchange for a brief drop in her dignity. Of course, Kaitlyn didn't mind. In fact, she seemed all too ready. Her eyes widened, and she gave an enthusiastic smile at the request. "Of course!" She said. "After all, I do owe you after your assistance, even if it was indirect at best. I'll even put a discount on what you choose to get for the occasion." The dialogue made Oliver roll his eyes, and he slid his arm off of Kaitlyn's shoulders to fold both of them across his chest. "Of course. The moment she knows about a weapons dealer, the first thing she does is attempt to make friends." He drawled. "You're such a whore when it comes to bullets, sis." "O-okay..." Gently, Rika pushed herself off of Mōka as soon as she saw flashing lights below - the indication for the landing zones. "I think that's the landing zone up ahead. Everyone, brace yourselves for landing!" With a couple of clicks of the tongue, she got the bird to start its descent. There was a slight jolt at the downwards movement. But it was nothing that any one of them would've paid attention to. As they got closer to the ground, they would see the familiar figures of the 9th Division standing around the landing area and looking up at the animal aircraft. It was clear that they, as well as the rest of the Captains, had long expected their arrival. "Mōka?" Angelika questioned, turning towards the said woman. "Can your partner perform teleportation? If she can, I'd like her to bring Sakura and Shinji here, as well. Giving the Gotei 13 any reason to suspect us of deception is the last problem we want to come to the surface..." "Sure thing, partner,"? Mōka smiled to Angelika, understanding whom she meant. Raising a hand to her earpiece, she adjusted the frequency to reach her stationary subordinate and lover, at the base as they began to descend onto the ground, "Kari-chan? Can you do a favor for me?" "Exactly what, pra tell, should I do this time? I've been having to deal with this Soul Reaper's sweet talk and having her trying to understand me for the past day or so and its starting to piss me off. Do NOT ask me to-" "Kari-chan, please focus,"? Mōka spoke in a commanding, yet soft tone as the avian creature touched down, not wanting to look unpleasant in front of her hosts, "I want you to bring Sakura-chan and Shinji-san with you to my location. Please use the fast-way but don't get carried away, okay?" "Yeah yeah...I'll get right on that-" "Glad to see you all could make it," Daisuke spoke out initially once the group finally arrived onto the courtyard of the 9th Division Barracks, his eyes bulging slightly at seeing the additional occupants. He quickly recovered, however, and began clearing his throat, continuing in front of his men and his superior beside him, "I see you had more comrades than I anticipated. Going to be a full house for this debriefing, I suppose..." Angelika quickly switched her gaze from the Lieutenant to the Captain, who had his hands folded behind his back and a pondering look on his face. "We'll explain everything once we get to the meeting room." She said coolly, bringing herself to stand up and walk off of the Dragonbird. "I'm sure all of the rest of you will want to hear about our recent endeavors." A grin came across Hachiro's face. "That we would, you one-eyed brat." He remarked, though having a clearly jocular tone within that voice. "I'm sure all of you have quite the story to tell." He turned his gaze towards Rika. "You needn't worry about your steed, pilot. My men will stay here and ensure that no one has any funny ideas about doing anything with it..." The reassuring tone was enough to make Rika relax, a relieved smile crossing her face. "T-thank you, sir..." She said softly, allowing herself to move after Angelika. She slid off, with the bird letting out a light caw as she did so. "Easy there," Mōka spoke to Rika, sliding off in sync with her, making sure she kept a light hold of her form in case she fell over, "I don't want you suddenly tipping over just because we're on solid ground, Rika-chan..." "I hope the numbers aren't too much trouble for you?" Asuka questioned, following straight after the two of them. "While it might make some of our colleagues and subordinates understandably nervous around you, I think its all the better," Daisuke spoke honestly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile as he emphasized, "if we are truly to have a coherent alliance, having more allies on our side is better for us, right?" "And us, as well as you..." Angelika agreed, allowing herself to slide off of the bird. She dusted herself off, paying a glance towards Mōka and Rika. "As promised, one of my subordinates will bring Lieutenant Keikai back here shortly. We took special care as to ensure that she was in good health the entire time she was in our company." That prompted Hachiro to give a slight nod of appreciation, though he scoffed afterwards. "Eh, I doubt that her Captain would've missed much of her, anyway." He commented. "Considering problems he's been dealing with, however, I can't say I blame him for it..." "What exactly happened, if I might ask?" Mōka looked over to the 9th Division Captain, her brows perked up with interest as to hear what precisely would've happened while she has been away from the Soul Society, "did the Clan have issues that caused him to let us go in the first place?" As they talked, Yusuke regarded the scene with a bit of a downtrodden attitude. As he slid down the bird, he became noticeably quiet and withdrawn. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his head was slightly lowered and his eyes were fixated on the ground. It wasn't exactly pleasing to him that a recent friend would have to leave them so soon.... "Hey Yusuke, don't worry about Sakura-chan," Daisuke noticed Yusuke's attitude shift immediately. Bending over to reach out and pat him on the shoulder, "if this goes as smoothly as I hope it will, you can visit Sakura whenever you want, and she to you guys..." "Wouldn't that be precious," Yajū scoffed aloud, rolling his eyes but kept his mouth shut. He didn't like this whole charade of a "ceasefire" with the very enemies that had been dogging them this whole time. But, he was just muscle, not the brains so he knew better than to voice anything more than a complaint... Despite Yajū's sarcastic comment, Yusuke allowed himself to smile a little and nod. "Yeah... I hope so, sir..." He answered lightly. "All right, you all!" Hachiro clapped his hands together and regarded all of the V-14 members with a respectful and polite gaze. "I'm sorry to interrupt the conversations, but Shin'en would kill me if I wasted too much time talking. I'll show you to the meeting room. Follow me..." With that, he turned around in order to lead them towards the designated area. As he walked, he spared a glance towards Mōka. "You wouldn't happen to have a problem with that, would you, miss...?" He questioned her, cocking a slight eyebrow. "Nah," Mōka shrugged nonchalantly, before discreetly cocking her head back towards Anton's direction as they all began trekking behind Daisuke and Hachiro, "I'm just worried about our Aethian friend becoming victim of a vendetta your 10th Division Captain has developed during their last clash in the Rukon Districts..." Anton immediately raised his hands up in a slightly defensive motion, though having a clear scowl on his face. "Hey. I'm not going to act foolish in the presence of the rest of you." He answered. "As much as I'd like to run a sword through his throat, I know the consequences of what will happen if I do. I can keep myself cool if he can. But if he gets any ideas, don't expect the peace to be kept." "We'll try to make sure our colleague doesn't do anything brash, right, Captain?" Daisuke tried to reassure the pointedly mentioned Aethian to his superior. He had forgotten how enraged Captain was during their attempt to take down V-14. He heard that he nearly killed the Aethian, and would've decimated the rest of them hadn't it been for his family's political problems intervening... "Of course." The Captain said smoothly. "The same goes for the rest of us as well as the rest of you. We keep ourselves in line and no trouble-making. So," He turned towards his Lieutenant, once again cocking an eyebrow and smirking. "I trust you'll see to keeping your succubus in line. It would be bad if another mother-daughter family reunion took place in the midst of our meeting room..." "I-I'm not her Master, Captain! She's her own person, and I can only encourage her to just act courteously is all," Daisuke acted in a flustered manner, blushing as he turned his head away from his superior, quite embarassed on how he addressed Sakura.? "So...you're him, huh?" Mōka spoke pointedly, in a subtly intimidating tone that caused Daisuke to be thrown out of his nervous state of mind. As he turned to look over his shoulder, Mōka could only smile wryly, seeing the young boy too naive for her to believe that he harnessed the very ashes of Hell to his side, "you're a lot younger than I imagined you to be..." "I...umm...thanks...I guess?" Daisuke acted timidly in front of the beautiful woman, having a nostalgic appearance in a semblence to someone he knew. Rubbing the back of his neck, he tried to stutter out, "ummm...do I know...you?" Anton could only cock an eyebrow. "You mean she didn't tell you?" He commented, almost allowing a smirk of his own to cross his face. "And here I thought with all the time you spent with her, the first thing she'd talk to you about is her children..." "Ch-Children?!" Daisuke's eyes widened with shock.? "What? You didn't know? I'm that bitch's daughter, Mōka Komori," the said Dominator spoke aloud, smirking as she crossed her arms and raised a brow in amusement, "but my Hankami title is that of the Dominator, but I'd rather you just stick to my first name, kay?"? "S-S-Sure!" Daisuke felt himself blush up a storm, despite the risque greeting and introductions, he never thought such a beautiful woman was a near identical replica of Sakura herself. If he didn't know that they were mother and daughter, he'd almost assume that they were sisters, "m-my name is Daisuke-" "Yeah, we covered that already," Mōka rolled her eyes, walking past him to leave a dejected Lieutenant in her gait, "let's get this over with already. We can gossip and giggle if your Captains' Meeting is delayed for some reason..." "I can guarantee you Shin'en will probably be late..." Hachiro muttered, rolling his eyes. "He's always the type to get everyone else on time and then wait for a good while before showing up himself. Really gets on our 7th Division Captain's nerves..." Inwardly, he was relieved at the nonchalant attitude she was showing at the mention of her mother. Now, if Sakura could show the same amount of temper... "As long as there isn't any nasty surprises waiting for us, it will be good for us to get acquainted with the other members of the Gotei 13's bravest and strongest," Mōka nodded with affirmation as they once again set off towards their destination. Looking up ahead, the group could see that the large series of steps leading up to the 1st Division Barracks also doubling as the Captains' Meeting Hall and the Head Captain's quarters.? "Geez, talk about huge!" Zaii commented as his eyes bulged out to see such a large palace-sized Barracks, not to mention the wide gait the stairs had while they traversed up the solid tiled treads, "how many Soul Reapers are housed here?!"? "Its more for show than anything," Daisuke commented, putting his hands behind his head as they walked up the long series of stairs, "the 1st Division has about as many Soul Reapers as any other Division has, but it has to retain a sense of presence and superiority due to them being direct subordinates underneath the Head Captain himself..." "It must have its own strategic defense advantages as well," Shinshin mused lowly, looking side to side, seeing as the building seemed to be one of the highest points of the Seireitei, "it almost appears they have a complete vantage point over the whole Soul Society. It would be a good view for those with expert tactical analysis..." "It sure is impressive," Shito nodded in emphasis to Zaii's comment as he cupped his chin, "I wonder how much space is actually inside?" "We'll find out, won't we?" Oliver muttered, chuckling a little. "Or, we'll find out if they don't decide to chop off our heads at the last minute..." "Captain Horikawa." Kaitlyn's voice called the said man's attention to her, and she regarded him with a slightly curious gaze. "Is Qilin still Captain of the 7th Division?" He raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes twinkling with confusion. "Yes, he is... why do you ask, dear?" Kaitlyn managed a small smile."Let's just say we were business partners a while back. When the debriefing is over and done with, I wish to speak with him." "Well, that's up to him, if you must ask." Hachiro gave a light shrug of the shoulders. "It's not like I dictate or keep track of what he does... even if he can be a little troublesome at times--" "Dayum, gurl! Why yo ass so fine?" "I know, right?" "Damn it, Captain!" "..." Hachiro's eye twitched a little at the sound of Qilin, Sakura, and Tetsuyo's respective voices as they got closer to their respective location. In turn, this was followed by laughter from both Qilin and Sakura. "Scratch that. Make that very troublesome." "Did someone say, fine ass?!" Yajū's eyes widened with a disturbing glee as he saw Tetsuyo and Sakura before most could say anything, "that is a fine-" WHAM! "Behave, Yajū!" Mōka said with a berift sigh, stamping on his foot with enough force to quell his debaucherous thoughts, and allow her a moment of quiet, "we're supposed to arrange an alliance, not a room for you to rape someone..." "Yeah, we really don't want that ''kind of ''reputation ''you know," Shito spoke with a derrisive tone of annoyance, rubbing his temples at being surrounded by such impulsive comrades. "Suit yourselves...ow...ow...," Yajū scowled, but not before limping over to the back side of the group, not wanting to attract anymore attention from his ''real ''boss. Ignoring his new allies-to-be antics, Daisuke approached Sakura with a bright smile, waving out to her as he approached ahead of the group, "Hey Sakura-chan! I see you got here before we did..." ''"He's not even the least bit concerned about the cat-calls..." Tetsuyo had to sweatdrop as Daisuke approached the Hankami with a nonchalant gait. He folded his arms across his chest, turning to his grinning Captain. "You were very lucky this time, my friend..." He muttered lowly. "The Punisher is known for her indulgences. If she was anything like Captains Sazuke or Ikidori, you and that man would've had your kidneys and stomachs rearranged by now." "Wouldn't have done it if I knew I wasn't going to get away with it..." Qilin answered nonchalantly, chuckling a little. "You have so much doubts in me, my dear Lieutenant..." The Punisher folded her arms across her chest as she looked at Daisuke. "You should know by now that I'm always early to events that I come to." She answered smoothly, nodding her head towards Qilin and Tetsuyo. "I ran into these two on my way there, told me that the rest of them were waiting up in the meeting room. With the exception of the Captain-Commander..." "Figures..." Hachiro rolled his eyes, having already expected it. "Well, I suppose that's plenty of time to get acquainted..." Hello Gov'nor! Revelations of a Common Enemy...! "That's good to know," Daisuke sighed with relief, realizing that Sakura hadn't gotten into anybody while he had been away. As he looked to Qilin, he realized that the man's infectiously easygoing mannerisms often deflected sarcastic and course talk. Of most of the Captains, he is the example of a good social person, "I'm just glad you are finding each other's company pleasantly enough, despite circumstances..." "Whoa! They're here already?!" Ryōken called out, appearing directly behind the now ascended collaborative of V-14's currently appeared forces, "geez, that's a lot of you..." "Don't change the subject of your tardiness, Captain Aizen," Lieutenant Fiaresu spoke derisively in an annoyed tone next to his lax acting superior, "its better to be honest of your bad habits than trying to poorly disguise them with inept execuses." "Ah, that's cold, Senshi-san!" Ryōken raised his hands in protest of mock surrender to his being late.? "The only reason why you showed up is because I came to get you," Kukkyōna, appearing on Ryōken's other side while ascending with his Lieutenant to meet the rest of V-14, "I swear I forget that you're a Captain sometimes..." "Sometimes I like to sleep in! Is that so much to ask?" Ryōken rolled his eyes as he spoke with a playful tone, walking up with them to meet the others of V-14. "I apologize for the influx of numbers if they were unexpected..." Angelika said smoothly, motioning to the group behind her. In particular, Asuka was walking up to stand by her side as she was speaking, her hands folded behind her back. "But under the circumstances, I truthfully wasn't expecting to bring so many with me. We'll make sure to explain everything once your Captain-Commander gets here." "Then I suggest you get comfortable..." Qilin muttered, putting his hands on the back of his head. "It's probably going to take a while before the big boss gets here, so you might as well hang out and--" However, he abruptly cut himself off upon the sight of Kaitlyn, who blushed slightly in embarassment at his sudden lock-on to her. "Kaitlyn? It is you, isn't it?" His expression brightened, and within an instant, he was in front of her. Before she knew it, he had scooped her up in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet, ignoring the slight yelp that had come from her person. "Oh, it's been far too long!" He exclaimed, quickly setting her down and looking over her. "How exactly did you end up with such a band such as the V-14? With your white slate, I'm pretty sure that recruitment couldn't have possibly been in the question." Kaitlyn's smile got a little sheepish, and she chuckled nervously as she glanced at Oliver. The man, in return, was giving her a cock of the eyebrow of question. "Let's just say that one of my family got himself into a lot of trouble and we had to walk him out. I wouldn't want to spoil any of the explanation the bosses are going to give..." "Hm?" That was when Qilin's gaze drifted to Oliver. Although it relaxed considerably, it was clear he was still enthused. "Oh, so this is your father?" He guessed, nodding in acknowledgement. "Yes, now that I think about it, Hachiro did mention something about a blonde-haired gunman that made up one of the enemy's assault on the convoy." "You heard about that, huh?" Oliver drawled. "Something like that doesn't exactly get by unnoticed, Black Eagle..." Qilin answered. "The Captain told me that you," He nodded over to Hyōryū. "And a woman that displayed just as much skill as you did fought off several squads of the 9th Division's seats by yourselves. Two gunmen, and without any special powers of their own nonetheless! It's quite obvious that you're going to garner a reputation upon yourselves, positive or otherwise..." "Well we're not that special,"? Hyōryū blushed slightly from the compliment given by the ecstatic man, rubbing her neck while turning away, "its the other guys you should be praising. We're just the helping hands, really..." "Are you...being bashful?" Shadō asked incredulously as he looked over at the young woman whom he knew only as a partner.? "N-No I'm just...a little...umm...-" "Excuse me," Shinshin approached Qilin directively, effectively saving? Hyōryū from further embarassment, uninentionally. His eyes cool and dispassionate, nearly unreadable as he asked the man, "are you the aledged Spirit-Smith I heard so much about? I was wondering if you could do something for a blade of mine," he pulled out his katana from his sash, holding it out in a horizontal presenting manner, his manner expectant, "its name is Kakushin..." Daisuke rolled his eyes. The fact they were able to save as many as they could from death was incomprehensible, considering neither said gunman had been holding back in their assault on the convoy. He personally rather not dwell on it, so he just simply turned his eyes away to gaze on an unfortunately close pair of eyes. Crimson eyes, as fiery as Sakura's, locked directly onto hers, "Uh-oh..." "Hello, mother," Mōka spoke in a sarcastically enthused tone, crossing her arms just below her impressive bust and cocking her smooth, hourglass hips to the side, she looked at her mother dead in the eyes that was borderline murderous intent, "it has been too long, hasn't it?" "Well, well, now isn't this a surprise?" Ryōken approached Asuka's direction with a haughty tone, with the unintentional audience of Kukkyōna and Senshi, "I can't believe the next Head of the Sakamoto Clan graces our feet with her presence! You remember me, Asuka-''hime''? I used to pay your Clan visits when I was working on our Clan inter-relationships...you still look as radiant as ever by the way!" A beaming smile crossed Asuka's face as Ryōken approached her. "Ah, Aizen-san! I could never forget that face if I tried. How is my brother Akimoto doing? He hasn't been giving the Aizen Clan too much trouble, has he?" Although he was a member of the sub-branch Raven House, he was one of the few R.H. members to have dared to take up a leadership position within in the clan. He was heavily known for his rallies and sermons promoting anarchy and self-government - something that wasn't looked upon lightly by the Gotei 13. It had gotten him constantly in trouble with both the Clan Elders and the Chamber 46, but he still held them. Surprisingly, a massive number of people had taken to these sessions and supported his cause. Their conversational talk was a heavy contrast to what was beginning to transpire between the Hankami mother and daughter. "You have some nerve to take that tone with me, you disgusting whiner." She said venomously, returning the stare with a glare filled with unrestrained venom. As much as she wanted to wring the other female's neck, she kept her arms folded across her chest. Even she knew there was a limit to everything. But that didn't stop her from undoing the chains for her words. "Why aren't you somewhere playing with the "mortal children", as you always wanted to? Little kids shouldn't be involved in adult things like this." "Spiritsmith?" Qilin's eyes regarded the man with confusion, and he placed a hand to his chin in thought. They drifted towards the blade "Son, I'm afraid that whoever told you that name's been digging up too much in the fiction and fantasy books." He said, closing his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. "The Spiritsmith's nothing but some legend made up by folks with too much time on their hands. I mean, I could probably take the blade to someone who can actually fix it, but that's all anyone can do..." "A...are you... blushing?" Oliver snickered, looking at her face. "Aw, aren't you the cutest little thing, yes you are~!" Off to the side, Kaitlyn couldn't help but snicker as well at the woman's unfortunate attention. "SH-SHUT UP!"? Hyōryū shouted in protest, stamping her foot with indignation as she fixated a glare of daggers towards Oliver, "I will kick you so hard, you'll wish you had something manly to brag about!" "Easy, Hyōyū," Shadō raised his hands, trying to calm his associate down, "let's not start nut cracking people in front of our hosts please..." "No, I shouldn't be," Shinshin narrowed his eyes at Qilin with suspecting certainty, "from what my colleague has talked about, it seems that you were the one supplying him with all the unique spirit blades he requested on many occasions. I was wondering if you could fasten one for me, or at least, find a Spiritsmith of near caliber to you who is able..." Mōka could only smirk as she placed her hands on her hips, flipping her hair from one side to the other, "Oh? You dare pull the age card on me? You with the temperment of a child, whom is no older than a century and a half, to call me a child? Try again, witch, and I might be offended, but that would be childish of you, now wouldn't it?" "Okay, time-out you two," Daisuke tried to intervene between the two volatile behaving women, raising a hand to each of them with a nervous smile on his face, "why not postpone whatever reunion you two are planning to transpire after we're done here, okay?" "Do you always let him boss you like this, or do you pretend to do as he asks?" Mōka had to ask, much to Daisuke's chagrin, pointedly towards her biological mother. "Well, considering the recent events we've had over in Yūrei and the recent incidents we've had to handle culminating with both, well, your organization and the leftover rabble the Ahijados retained, his cause is as strong as ever. I pacify him with good natured visits and it usually keeps him in a good mood. As long as I don't directly tell him to stop his protests and sermons, he's pretty receptive to debates and small talks," Ryōken spoke to Asuka with good cheer, appreciative that Asuka remembered him as well as the last time they spoke. "Funny, I remember it was usually me who had to talk sense into Akimoto rather than you," Kukkyōna spoke with a dry toned, sideglancing his partner before smiling back at Asuka, "its been quite awhile, Asuka-san. I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Kukkyōna Hayate, the Clan Head of the Noble Hayate House. I accompanied Ryōken-san during our trips to your estate..." SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT-SHFT! Within a series of simultaneous Flash Steps, nearly all of the Captaincy was present. With people like Taiyō and Sazuke moving with their respective Lieutenants to take their positions without being distracted, others like Kaze "Well, look who we have here?" Taiyō spoke out, smiling toothily as she walked past the assembled group to take a position assigned to herself, crossing her arms as she observed the gathered mass, "it seems like we'll be forming a circle rather than horizontal aligned lines instead today, huh?" "They do seem like a lively group, don't they?" Nozomi asked, her other onlooking more observing colleagues.? "I just hope they aren't up to any tricks," Kaze muttered as he stared at them with suspicion, but held his ground, "of course of all the times I would like him around, Meikurai is insisting he's busy. Stupid boy should know when to be present..." "Please wake me when this pow-wow is over," Yukiakari spoke allowed as she closed her eyes while crossing her arms over her chest, dipping her head only slightly, "I'm not interested in making small talk with mercenaries, friendly or not..." Tap-Tap-Tap! "Mercenaries, eh?" Shindō whispered, appearing directly before the culminated group of V-14, walking straight towards Anton before stopping just short of the well-built, larger man. His gait composed, yet had a barely restrained menace, and his eyes stared stoically towards the Russian, with a obvious glare behind the cold onyx eyes of his, "so you survived, Anton Semenov..." Suddenly, the tension within the room had increased tenfold, and the majority of the occupants had ceased talking. The V-14 leaders, particularly, took an eye of caution towards the two pairs that were in the process of arguing with each other. On one side was two Captain-level opponents. On the other were warriors far beyond that. Both of their attitudes seemed to be deteriorating bit by bit, and it would only be a matter of time until one side snapped. Anton paid no heed to it. A malicious smirk crossed his face as he stared down at Shindō's slightly smaller form. "Yeah..." He whispered, lowering himself so that their faces were inches away from each other. "I know it must disappoint you to see me alive and kicking. I probably would have died, too... but, you know, I started to think about you a lot since then. Needless to say, I wouldn't be able to carry out dreams of gutting you, ripping every organ from your body and hanging your entrails on the Seireitei's gate if I was dead, now would I?" "Unlike what you've heard from the castrated sheep," Sakura said vehemently, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm quite capable of being nice. Of course, you would've never thought that. Your head was always so far up the ass of humanity that you'd never once stop to pay attention to what was happening to your own kind, wasn't it? I don't know what's worse; the mortals who are so full of themselves that they think they're on level with us, or the immortals who loathe themselves so much that they want to become just another sniveling human..." "Why you-?!" "You bi-!" TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP! "Now now now, children," the Head Captain spoke as he suddenly appeared, fashionably late as always. He managed to move with such deft speed and grace that he slapped all four bickering entities at once, ending with Mōka and starting with Shindō, with a ruler no less, "while it would be a morbidly attractive thing to see innards hanging from the Seireitei gate, it wouldn't suffice as there are four gates and wouldn't be enough to spread the joy of your dream effectively. That, and the fact as interesting as your two philosophically involved family squabbles are, the Hankami are not Immortal, just long-lived and are about as emotionally parallel as everyone else is. Now, without further interruption..." SFT! "...welcome to the Seireitei, V-14!" Furuidenshō spoke aloud with a cheerful tone, waving a near ecstatic hand towards the large group of mercenaries and affiliates involved with the infamous organization. Anton's reaction was the comical one. "Did," He stared at the Head Captain with widened eyes, one of them twitching slightly. His mouth was agape, and the look on his face could simply be described as priceless. All of his fury had disappeared, replaced by nothing more than comical shock. "Did you just hit me with a ruler?!" He asked in disbelief, holding the back of his head with one hand and using the other to point at Furidenshō. "Who does that?!" "Apparently, he does..." Gina muttered, putting on a small smile of amusement at the man's expression. She folded her arms across her chest. "Takes you back to your school days, doesn't it? When the teacher always threatened to spank you in front of the class if you misbehaved. Good times, huh?" "Get over here, you all..." Noriko said bluntly, fixing her eyes on the Captains who had brought themselves over to the V-14. "Just because there's more people here than anticipated doesn't mean we have an excuse to act out of line. You can speak with all of your friends later." Qilin huffed. "Yes, mom..." However, he allowed himself to turn towards Shinshin one last time, leaning forward so that his mouth was close to his ear. "We'll talk later..." He whispered so that only the other man could hear. "I prefer not to speak of my other... business... in the presence of the Captains. I hope you understand." With that being said, he retracted himself away and stepped back in order to head to what would've been his own spot. However, the Punisher's reaction was less than humorous. In fact, it was downright malevolent. Once the words about the Hankami hit her ears, her narrowed crimson eyes filled with murderous and furious intent. "Say that again." She said lowly, her voice quiet but the venom unrestrained. "Speak as if you know everything about our kind once more, and I'll make sure you'll be giving the Togabito my regards!!" In a way, Mōka had been right. She had a short temper, and when it was set off, she rarely bothered to stop herself. This time, she felt justified. Who was this man to talk about her race so casually, as if he were Izanagi himself? The fool knew nothing. "All is one and one is all," Furuidenshō spoke softly in response, unphased by the Punisher's angry shout. Turning his eyes to face her angry visage, he spoke simply, "when it all comes down to it, we are all insignificant. Death can come to anything '''and '''anyone. Where something begins '''it also '''ends. I've learned it the hard way, that taking a high stance above the masses, means you have to set the example for them, otherwise it is simply folly and arrogance. Wars start because others belittle those weaker than themselves or those who couldn't understand them. I may not know everything about your kind, nor do I possess powers that allow me to justify my existence is greater than your own, but I am simply speaking in facts. The fact that you are able to mingle with humanity's living and spirit realms, speaks volumes of your emotional disposition being far more alike to the masses than what you would admit.... But regardless, if you want to have a more personally vocal discussion, feel free to speak to me alone in my quarters. I promise I'll be as hospitable as your young friend is to you," the Head Captain added, winking at Daisuke, causing the latter to blush and look away from the insinuation. The the conflict from the Hankami allowed Shindō to forget his current vendetta long enough to walk away without trading blows. Inwardly he knew he would attain the opportunity to strike back at his enemies. It was only a matter of time... As soon as the rest of the Captaincy lined up, with the respective three V-14 leaders standing in front of their ragtag group to face the now seated Head Captain respectively. During the confusion as well, Karitori appeared via dark disturbing flash of light and vibrations, revealing the unharmed Sakura to return to her Captain's dispassionate side and Shinji to walk relatively recovered to Asuka's group. And of course, "Shinji-kun!" "Shinji!" Rika and Yusuke were quick to rush to their partner's aid, quickly moving to each side of him to support him. At that point, he was still having difficulty walking and had nearly stumbled. "Easy, big guy..." Yusuke encouraged. "You've been through a lot of mental stress, and it's still a bit too early for you to start up and running just yet. How do you feel?" "I'm still in the process of regaining my motor functions..." Shinji's voice was slightly hoarse, but otherwise normal. "I... only need a few minutes to recover myself fully..." "All right... Rika, help me set him up against the wall. He'll need all the time he can." "R-right..." As they coaxed Shinji over towards the wall, Angelika nodded over towards Sakura. "You are free to check her for any potential anomalies within her external or internal system." She said to Shindō. Unlike Anton, she made sure to keep her tone professional and polite. "But as of this moment, she is in good health and possesses no such problems." As they began to speak, the Punisher's expression began to change from anger to a sullen thoughtfulness. She folded her arms across her chest, turning her head away for a moment. There was at least some truth to the words that the Head Captain had spoken, even if she would never acknowledge it outright. It was a rather scary thought, knowing that someone you considered to be lesser than yourself to have such a viewpoint. Of course, this sentiment had always been shared by Daisuke himself. His faith within her own humanity had been enough to rattle her to the point of mental breakdown, and he was nothing more than a Shinigami Lieutenant. She was a blood-born god, and yet she had been brought down to size by him. All of it was because she failed to recognize the full potential and ability of the mortals. "...but your alternative, is to strip away all freedom, thought, and hope and plunge them forcefully into a world you only assume is perfect because you say it will be..." "That, and the fact as interesting as your two philosophically involved family squabbles are, the Hankami are not Immortal, just long-lived and are about as emotionally parallel as everyone else is..." "...I may not know everything about your kind, nor do I possess powers that allow me to justify my existence is greater than your own, but I am simply speaking in facts..." The memory of Kukkyōna's words to her as well as the Head Captain's was enough to make her lip curl briefly. She had been within existence long before any of them had even been born, long enough to justify her own status as an immortal. If Shin'en claimed to not know everything, how could he also claim to speak in facts? As far as she was concerned, he was being nothing more than a hypocrite. In fact, he had no right to speak to her about anything regarding the Hankami. "...taking a high stance above the masses, means you have to set the example for them, otherwise it is simply folly and arrogance..." Then again, maybe that had been her fault, too. Maybe she had not made a proper example of her role. Maybe she had not projected her image in the manner of what would be expected of a goddess. Her informal, carefree and borderline-reckless behavior may have been what constituted to the majority of opinion here. As far as the rest of them were concerned, she was nothing more than another empowered being... just like they were. Suddenly, she felt a lot more disappointed in herself... Mōka found herself stunned. Despite the youthfullness of the Head Captain before her, as well as the initial lax and carefree introduction, he held both the wisdom and poise to speak in an unshakeable resolve of his own beliefs. She knew as a fact very few who knew their true origins would dare speak to them as if they were equals. The fact she managed to talk her mother, the virtual Queen of Hell, into submissive pause, made an incredible impression onto the Hankami born woman. "I like him," she thought with a smile, looking at his back as he turned to sit at his seat at the head of the Captaincy, awaiting for debriefing patiently, "he and I could get along very well..." "You okay, Sakura?" Daisuke asked Sakura with an empathetic tone. During the few times he spoke alone or within the same room with the Head Captain, he knew at times he seemed unreasonable or stern at times, but he never talked down to someone like that before the Lieutenant. Especially not a woman, "I'm sorry if he offended you. I guess he sometimes might get a little carried away when he's trying to keep the peace..." "That isn't necessary," Shindō spoke solemnly, not bothering to project any hatred or resentment to the leader of the enemies he swore to destroy. With a mere flicker of his eyes, they changed into the infamous red-black eyes of Tamenkyōme, examining Sakura Keikai's form within a few moments before disengaging the Kidō altogether, "I find that she is in the exact shape you claimed she's in. You have my thanks for being courteous to her, at the very least..." "Th-Thank you, Captain, for understanding," Sakura bowed her head to her superior, thankful that her superior understood. When she raised her gaze, she saw that Shinji was barely standing, causing her to rush over to the bandaged man and stand before him, "are you alright? Are you still having trouble breathing?" "My psychology is fine..." The man answered readily, allowing for Rika and Yusuke to place him on a sitting position against the wall. "I only need a few minutes to regain full control over my motor systems..." His crimson eyes stared into her own, his gaze stoic as it always was. But the slight waver within his irises showed the extent of the state he was in. "I... thank you sincerely for your kindness, Lieutenant Keikai, for I know you did not have to help a recent enemy recover..." Rika herself was quick to join in with a smile. "Well... if Konno-san feels comfortable enough to thank you, you couldn't have done any wrong..." She said softly. "You have my thanks also, Keikai-san." "It's not something we can't handle if it's worse than it looks..." Yusuke said in reassurance, looking at Sakura and giving his own grin. "Run along, Kei-chan. We'll be but a moment..." He turned back towards Shinji, kneeling down to the man's level in order to start checking him for any possible anomalies. "...there's still so much I've failed to realize about you mortals." As the three prepared to give the debriefing of the recent events, the Punisher's gaze softened to a more sullen look. "How long has it been? A little over two millennia, and yet I still haven't brought myself to see what the Monitor and Oracle had. I'm pretty sure they would've realized it by now. Just what exactly am I missing...?" "We'll start from the beginning..." Angelika cleared her throat, preparing herself for what was to be a long speech. "The first encounter we had with the Inner Circle was through one of the Dragons. His name is Yashin Shiyōnin, and he came under the guise of a client needing assistance in terminating Kenja Kōdai, a.k.a, the "Burning Knight". Needless to say," She motioned towards the said man with one hand. "One thing came to another, and I came to decision to reject the contract. Doing the Inner Circle's dirty work wasn't under my method of operations. However, they seemed to take this as a sign of defiance and decided to make us a primary target for elimination." Asuka was quick to pick up where her leader left off. "After Captain Takuji's encounter and retreat from his ambush of Alpha and Beta Teams, Yashin was quick to follow up and finish their weakened forces off. Luckily, Kenja and my Gamma Team was there to reinforce the area. That was where we detained Lieutenant Keikai." The Head Captain looked onwards with a serious gaze of contemplation and acknowledgement of the two female leaders. He inwardly mused the hilarity of a die-hard mercenary organization was being run by three females with a good majority of their subordinates being male. Readjusting his focus, however, he realized something was amiss, "Now I can concur with Captain Aizen and Captain Horikawa's reports upon the Inner Circle threat, they have never attacked openly. From what I've gathered on them, the Inner Circle has never attacked openly and prefers their operations done in secrecy or vaguely masked rumors. How could they attack you when any skilled Gotei 13 user was within the Seireitei?" "If I may," Kenja stepped forward, a known thorn in the Gotei 13's side as well as a begrudgingly accepted ally thanks to their resident Substitute Soul Reaper within Karakura Town, he cleared his throat before elaborating, "I've personally fought Yashin and his minions before. One of the main reasons he can preform such open acts is because he remotely controls the bodies of both Spirits and Humans from afar. It is child's play for him to take on groups such as V-14, and do so without your knowing. He had done so only minutes after the 10th Division pulled out, hence the mess that was left out of Captain Takuji's report..." "So that's what happened," Shindō thought, passively observing and listening to their conversation but remaining stoically silent, "could it be...that the information I was given was also leaked by that man? Damn that Yashin!" "Yashin is like a Chessmaster among the Inner Circle's Lieutenants," Mōka spoke aloud in admittance, crossing her arms as she stood forward, "he plays out every scenarior in the field in order to accomplish his objectives. However, it seems like he's doing most of his mistakes on purpose, unlike that Dragon Kunō. She only pulled out because I arrived, and she didn't intend to lose anything within the initial assault, as she was searching for Shidai Kagai..." "Speaking of which," the Captain Commander spoke in sudden elation, turning to Angelika, as he believed her to be the most informed of the three, "I heard that you went with our 9th Division Lieutenant in an attempt to retrieve those prisoners but encountered some problems. Was one of those problems, Shidai Kagai as well, the one whom was originally your contract to free and the whole intention of the Prison Escort debacle?" "The very one..." A faint scowl crossed Angelika's face at the mention of her former client. "My forces ran across him while attempting to intercept and subdue your designated targets. Apparently, he was after an artifact called the "Eye of Ragna". However, from what Asuka has told me, he created an empty replica and left the real Eye of Ragna for whoever could grab it first before fleeing the area." She quirked a slight eyebrow. "How did you know?" "Lieutenant Hayate was debriefed by Captain Horikawa, of course," The Head Captain shrugged in a matter-of-fact manner, "but it still concerns me is that he might have something to do with the chaos within the Underworld as well as the vast information network the Inner Circle possesses. That, or he's a loose cannon that will undoubtedly wreak havoc on any side he chooses to deem an enemy. I do have an inquiry though," Furuidenshō leaned forward, his hands forming a bridge for his chin to lean on, speaking to all of V-14 in general, "have any of you determined his true origins? I cannot find a record nor recall who this Shidai Kagai is, or what he was doing in a prison to begin with..." There was but one voice who would answer him - Shinji. "His eyes..." All eyes turned towards him. Asuka's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the look on Shinji's face. His normally unbreakable and stoic expression had contorted to a look of fear, beads of sweat falling down his face. "They were the same as the Dragon's..." He whispered. "I could see the emblems within those crimson eyes of his, just as I saw them within our battle with Yashin. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself..." He slowly placed a palm to his face, covering one half of it. "It was exactly the same as him...!!" "?!?!?!" Nearly everyone did a double take from what they just heard. The fact one of the most seen and manipulative of the Inner Circle's lieutenants, a Dragon no less, had been identified as being both Shidai Kagai and Yashin Shiyōnin? The idea seemed maddening, but... "Are you sure?! They are one in the same?!" Hyōryū asked Shinji, directing her worst fears of the Demon they've all come to know and fear. The one whom summoned a real Demon from the Underworld in an attempt to annihilate the Black Blood Sect. The one who hard injured and attempted to dispose of them all...was the same man as the aledged and infamous man who posed as a criminal mastermind who needed out of a prison?! "No, they're not entirely the same," Shadō spoke aloud, having been one of the few to have seen both Shidai and Yashin up close and personal, though for entirely different purposes all-together, "Yashin showed his face flamboyantly, having no reason to even use an identity or a mask to keep secrecy. Shidai spoke subtly, seemed to have a more hidden and vague agenda, and I barely got a glimpse of his face. That...and he had a left sided red eye instead of Yashin's right..." "So far, it appears as if the Inner Circle has allowed Yashin to be their front man," Kukkyōna analyzed aloud, looking over to the three female leaders of V-14, "it seems almost as if he has an innate fascination with your organization. And it sounds almost...coincidental...that he hasn't destroyed you or any allies you have with the power he possesses..." "What's that suppose to mean?" Mōka spoke out, her eyes flashing challengingly to the 6th Division Captain, "are you saying Yashin has been taking it easy with us? From what I've heard and witnessed, his very existence alone is frightening to any or all of his subordinates. He very nearly succeeded in destroying us on several occasions..." "If that were the case, why did they send another Dragon to hunt Shidai?" Ryōken countered, having been there to witness the ordeal for how much effort both V-14 and the Inner Circle made into retrieving the man, "if Yashin was indeed Shidai, why would the Inner Circle try and use so much unnecessary force into doing so? That, and why would they not work alongside their usual frontman?" "Are you saying," Shindō spoke aloud for the first time, his eyes narrowing across the line of Captaincy and V-14 to Ryōken, a hidden anger lingered behind the onyx orbs of his as he spoke, "that Yashin has been allowing V-14 to survive up to this point? And that he's using both Inner Circle and mercenary resources for another reason?" "It could very well be. After all, the Inner Circle is officially a Mercenary Organization, from what we know of. I can't imagine all of their subordinates and lieutenants are in it just for undying loyalty and good pay," Ryōken deduced, shrugging as he merely hypothesized. "It gets worse..." A grim look donned Asuka's face as she looked at each of the Captains. "Prior to our movement here, we were contacted by one of the Dragons after she had somehow sliced our comms. She goes by the name of Brina McTavish - a name I, by the word of my subordinate, can safely assume you've heard of. She managed to hack our communications and hear everything, including the proposal of alliance. Even now, I can bet she's listening on every word spoken here..."